Four Moons Later
by Ivypool
Summary: After the Dark Forest lost to the Clans, all the clans have been at peace. Ivypool is feeling bored with nothing happening to Thunderclan, and is beginning to grow distant. But as Thunderclan quickly grows in size, they are beginning to not have enough prey. Bramblestar chooses Ivypool, and a few other cats, to go and explore unknown territory in hope that they can expand the clan.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi everyone. :) I'm not exactly sure where this story is going to go, but I do have the next few chapters planed.**

Ahead of the white and gray tabby she-cat walked three cats. The sun was shinning and the forest was alive with early new-leaf growth.

Flowers where showing up again, grass was growing, and the trees where getting their leaves back. The forest was alive and healthy again after the long leaf-bare.

Ivypool watched as Toadstep and Birchfall talked quickly to each other and padded on ahead. Foxleap walked close behind them, listening to their conversation but not joining in.

Ivypool was falling behind though, every slow step made her further and further away from the border patrol.

She watched her clan mates, wishing that she could be as happy as they where. But she couldn't.

After the Dark Forest battle, four moons ago, she really didn't have anything to focus on anymore. All the clans where at peace still, so there where not really any danger to the clan.

Before the battle, she was focused on spying for her clan. But now she has nothing to do, and felt useless. She felt as if there was something empty in her, but she just couldn't fill it unless she had something interesting to focus on and keep her bussy.

Her sister, Dovewing, had filled her emptiness by focusing on improving her relationship with Bumblestripe, and she had moved to the nursery just the other day.

Lionblaze was focused on Cinderheart, and their two kits, Firekit and Hollykit. He was also trying to repair his relationships with Squirrelflight and Bramblestar.

And Jayfeather had filled his extra time by slowly learning more secrets in Starclan, and spending more time with Leafpool, and teaching more to Briarlight.

It seemed like everyone had something to do but Ivypool.

Ivypool followed the border patrol along the Shadowclan border. She didn't even notice that she was falling so far behind.

"Ivypool?" A gentle voice beside her made her jump. She turned to see the familiar reddish-brown tabby pelt of Foxleap. His eyes where worried. "Are you okay?"

"Yea, I'm fine." Ivypool paused and gave her shoulder a few embarrassed licks, then started walking again.

"You where falling behind, so I thought that I would walk with you." Foxleap said, looking at the path ahead of them.

"What about Toadstep and Birchfall?" Ivypool asked. She couldn't see them now.

"They are already heading back to camp." Foxleap explained. "We can catch up if we hurry."

"Okay." Ivypool sped up until she was racing along, with Foxleap at her side. The trees blurred together as she ran, and soon she spotted the two toms heading for the camp entrance.

Ivypool skidded to a stop behind them, lungs burning and taking quick, deep breaths of air. Foxleap did the same as they followed Toadstep and Birchfall into the stone camp.

Ivypool glanced around the camp clearing. She saw that most cats where out of camp, probably hunting for the clan before the gathering, which was tonight.

She said a quick good-bye to Foxleap and headed over to the nursery, where Dovewing layed just outside. Two kits tumbled and played in front of her.

Ivypool sat down next to her sister and layed down.

"Hi Ivypool." Dovewing greeted with a purr. She turned back to watch the two kits.

One kit was a bright ginger tom and the other was a black she-cat. They both had green eyes.

"How was your day?" Ivypool asked.

"It was fine. I'm watching Cinderheart's kits for her." Dovewing explained. Dovewing's belly was swollen but she still had another moon until her kits will be born. "Cinderheart is out hunting with Lionblaze now."

Ivypool nodded and watched as Firekit playfully batted a paw at Hollykit. Hollykit jumped away to avoid it, and then launched herself at him, knocking him onto the ground and pinning him. Firekit purred and pushed his sister off easily.

Ivypool watched, as she thought about if she would ever have kits. So far there where no toms in the clan that she liked, so she knew that it couldn't be anytime soon.

She had become closer to Foxleap lately, she didn't think that would grow to more then just friends though, but you never knew. And she had caught Toadstep looking at her often, she tried to ignore it, not wanting to be more then friends with him.

She wasn't going to get a mate anytime soon.

She sighed, again she the thought came to her, _everyone had something to do and focus but me._

"Ivypool?" Dovewing asked suddenly, breaking the silence.

"Yes?" Ivypool said, turning to look at her sister.

"You've seemed kind of distant lately." Dovewing said, worry showing through her voice. "Are you okay?"

Ivypool looked down at her paws. Everyone had been asking her that lately. "I'm fine, Dovewing." She told her. She didn't want to tell anyone how she was feeling, because they would just try to help, and they wouldn't understand the feeling anyways.

"Okay." Dovewing didn't sound convinced. She opened her mouth to say something but was cut off by a call from the Highledge.

Ivypool looked up at Bramblestar. "All cats chosen to go to the gathering, please meet me at the camp entrance." He then jumped down and padded over to the camp entrance.

Ivypool watched as the chosen cats gathered. Half of her wanted to go with them, for something to do. But half of her knew that it wouldn't be very eventful and that she would be bored the whole time.

"Your not going?" Dovewing asked Ivypool.

"No," Ivypool sighed, watching the cats leave the camp. "I wasn't chosen this time." She turned back to her sister. "But that's okay. It isn't like anything is going to happen with all the clans at peace with each other."

Dovewing nodded, then said, "Cinderheart and Lionblaze will be back soon. I better get these two back in the nursery." She flicked her tail at the two kits.

Ivypool watched silently as Dovewing got the kits to enter the nursery. "Good night, Ivypool." The gray queen called over her back.

"Good night, Dovewing." Ivypool said, watching her sister's tail tip disappear into the dark den. Ivypool waited a minute, then stood up and headed for her own nest.

She pushed her way inside her den, and then carefully made her way to her nest, careful not to step on any tails or paws.

Ivypool settled down in her mossy nest, and slowly drifted off to sleep.

**Alright, that's it. Sorry if it is a little boring, but the next chapter will be better. :)**

**Oh, and I'm sorry if any where in this story I get Ivypool's personality a little wrong.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi everyone. :) Here is another chapter!**

Ivypool walked into camp, a freshly caught mouse in her jaws. In front of her limped Mousewhisker who carried a squirrel, and behind her walked Toadstep, who carried a thrush and a vole.

Mousewhisker was limping from an injury from the Dark Forest attack that had messed up his paw badly. His paw would never heal, Jayfeather said, but Mousewhisker could still help on hunting patrols. Border patrols hurt him too much to join in on, though.

Ivypool paused right at the entrance of the camp. Almost every cat was gathered in the camp clearing, but Bramblestar was not on the Highledge. They seemed to be waiting for something.

She quickly spotted Dovewing and Bumblestripe sitting in a patch of sun together. Well, Bumblestripe was actually sleeping.

Ivypool felt the emptiness inside her again when she saw her sister, and tried to ignore it even though it never worked.

Ivypool headed over to Dovewing and Bumblestripe. She set the mouse at Dovewing's paused and asked, "What is happening? What is everyone waiting for?"

Dovewing looked up at Ivypool. "All the senior warriors left camp with Bramblestar and Jayfeather. No one knows what is happening."

"You don't know?" Ivypool asked. She knew that Dovewing could just use her powers to listen into the meeting. "Can't you just listen in?"

"I'd rather not." Dovewing meowed, licking a paw and bringing it over her ear, trying to smooth down a piece of fur that stuck up at an odd angle. "Besides, Bramblestar can't just hold a meeting with the senior warriors and not tell the clan what it was about."

Ivypool nodded in silent agreement, then pushed the mouse closer to the gray queen. "You must be hungry because of those kits. Eat."

Dovewing purred a thanks then bit into the mouse.

Ivypool sat down and after a minute her mind wandered off to the dark and empty thoughts again. She hoped that she would soon get something to focus on, these thoughts where always in her head and they where making her depressed.

She was suddenly jerked out of her thoughts as Dovewing used her tail to flick Ivypool on the nose.

Ivypool flinched and growled, glaring at her sister. "What was that for?"

"You where all distant again. Now, listen. Bramblestar has came back to camp." Dovewing curled her tail around Bumblestripe's, who was now awake again, and then turned to watch Bramblestar.

Ivypool followed her gaze to the Highledge, where Bramblestar stood, looking over his clan.

Bramblestar jumped right in, "Since the Dark Forest battle, Thunderclan has grown. We have more kits then ever before, and are much bigger then the other clans. But even though Thunderclan's growth in size is good, I have found a few problems."

A few cats started murmuring together, worried and confused.

Ivypool pricked her ears, curious to hear what those 'problems' where.

"There are two problems," Bramblestar meowed, "The first is easy to fix. It is that the dens in camp are too small. We are going to expand the elders den and nursery, and then make another warriors den. Making another warriors den will fix how crowded the den is now, and will give our new warriors a choice at where to sleep."

Yowls of approval rose in the clan. Ivypool watched silently, waiting for the next thing. Even if she tried hard to help with the work in camp, it was not something she could really be interested in.

Bramblestar continued, "The second problem is that as we grow, we are running out of hunting grounds. I have decided that we must expand our territory, if we wish to survive."

Before cats could talk, Bramblestar added, "I don't mean taking territory from other clans, that would break the peace. I mean taking the territory that doesn't belong to any of the clans, the territory behind the hollow that is unexplored."

At this the whole camp started talking to each other.

Bumblestripe said, "I hope I get picked to help explore the new territory."

"Me too." Ivypool whispered and turned back to Bramblestar. Her tail twitched excitedly and she leaned forward as her leader waited for silence.

Once everyone was silent, Bramblestar started talking again. "This will not be rushed, and will be taken vary seriously. We don't want anyone hurt or in danger while exploring the new territory. The first patrol into unknown territory will be lead by me. In the patrol will be Lionblaze, Foxleap, Cloudtail, Icecloud, and Ivypool. But don't worry, everyone will get a chance to explore when it is their turn."

Ivypool froze. She got to go?

"Congratulations." Dovewing nudged Ivypool, purring.

Ivypool smiled. Now _this _is something she would like to do.

"We will start tomorrow at sunrise." Bramblestar finished, then jumped off the Highledge.

Foxleap walked over to Ivypool. "Isn't this great?" He asked, eyes bright and excited. "We both get to go on the first patrol!"

Ivypool nodded and purred. She couldn't help but feel excited, this is the kind of thing she had been waiting for, for the past four moons! And inside her, she could feel that dark, empty feeling disappear just a little.

**Sorry it is short, they should start getting longer soon.**


End file.
